IBADAAT -> Slaughtering

The Method of Slaughtering an Animal

The method of slaughtering an animal is that the animal should be placed on the ground with his face towards the qiblah. The person should take a sharp knife, recite Bismillahi Allahu Akbar and cut the neck of the animal in such a manner that four veins (or passage ways) are cut off. They are trachea, the gullet, and the two jugular veins which are on either side of the gullet and the trachea. If only three out of these four are cut, the slaughter will be valid and the animal will be halal. If only two of the four are cut, the animal will be considered to be dead and it will not be permissible to consume the meat of such an animal.

At the time of slaughtering the person intentionally did not take the name of Allah Ta'ala. The animal will be considered to be dead and it will be haram to consume it. But if a person forgets to take the name of Allah Ta'ala, the animal will be halal.

It is makruh to slaughter an animal with a blunt knife as this causes much suffering to the animal. It is also makruh to begin skinning, cutting, breaking the hands and feet of the animal before it can become cold (meaning, before it can become lifeless). Similarly, it is makruh to continue cutting the animal's neck after having cut the four passage ways.

At the time of slaughtering a fowl, it's entire neck got cut off. It is permissible to eat such a fowl, and not makruh. However, it is makruh to slaughter the fowl in such a manner, although consuming it is not makruh.

Slaughtering of an animal by a Muslim is permissible under any condition. This is irrespective of whether the Muslim is a male, a female, in a state of purity or in a state of impurity. In all conditions, an animal slaughtered by a Muslim is halal. An animal slaughtered by a non-Muslim is haram.

It is permissible to slaughter an animal with any sharp object such as a sharp stone, a sharp cane, a sharp bamboo, etc.